I just added the story at the Travel Tales forum...but for the ones not reading stories but like to see Black Rhino ...here a summary...

Even it helps just 0,0001 percent against poaching I will not mention the exact loction of this encounter. Let’s say it was somewhere in the south

Enjoy this sighting with me

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and -A bit zooming in…--

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Mother was getting a bit closer , where was her child ?

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There… the youngster was following mom…. As it should be and is described with Black Rhino… child walks Behind mother as one of the differences with white rhino where the babies / youngsters are walking in front of the mother

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Mother was still walking slowly towards us

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Again coming a bit closer …this was maximum… and really… heart pounding… fighting against going away…and making close-up… At that moment stories about attacking / aggressive black rhino’s are going like a flash through your mind… but she was relaxed we stayed…

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A few last pictures of posing mother and younster before they left into the bush… It almost looked like saying goodbye

Could someone help with a colour for this Rhino (grey doesn't count). Sure you all know what I am hoping for despite the terrain. Especially the last pic with what appears to an open mouth gives the hope. Didn't eat from either grass or trees while we watched. Ithala Game Reserve, KZN, August 2011. Quality is poor due distance and heathaze so not many details.

The black rhino is smaller than the white rhino and has a pointed and prehensile upper lip, which it uses to grasp leaves and twigs when feeding. The white rhinoceros has square lips used for eating grass. The black rhinoceros can also be distinguished from the white rhinoceros by its size, smaller skull, and ears; and by the position of the head, which is held higher than the white rhinoceros, since the black rhinoceros is a browser and not a grazer. This key differentiation is further illustrated by the shape of the two species mouths (lips): the "square" lip of the white rhinoceros is an adaptation for grazing, and the "hooked" lip of the black rhinoceros is an adaptation to help browsing.

Hope that helps you spot your next Blackie

The trees are God's great alphabet: with them He writes in shining green across the world His thoughts serene. ~Leonora Speyer

Seen 'somewhere' during my recent trip. I was travelling on a dirt road when I saw 3 Blackies standing in the road. Mother, sub-adult and a very young calf. As i was slowing down they crashed into the undergrowth. In this photo the mother turned round to see who I was and her calf is just behind her. Not the best photo due to the thick bush, but still another Blackie for me.

anne-marie wrote:in the second Elsa's picture, we can see the mouth of a Black Rhino

I looked at the mouth and yes, it seems suspect, but it is not clear from behind that bush.

I am more looking at the rest of the Rhino and it has a much more prominent skin fold on the front legs than I would like for Black Rhino and the back is almost dead straight and not concave as for a Black Rhino. It also seems to keep a very low head and the animal in general just shows a more bulkier frame which all points more to White Rhino.

The rhino in the pictures are 100% black rhino . The hair on the tips of the ears and the small head is a clear indication of the species. There is no doubt that Elsa saw a black rhino grazing. The bruise to the skin just behind the front legs are also typical of Black rhino.

I am no expert on animals, just an interested everyday enthusiast. Therefore the telltale signs such as hair on the ear tips is unknown to me. Thanks for that. I will keep that in mind.

But I can tell you that the skin lacerations and infection on Rhino legs occur definitely on White Rhino as well. I have seen it myself during a visit to the Skukuza boma back in the days when the famous "Oortjies" was kept there and it was explained to me by non other than the famous KNPSpokeman from days gone bye.

I am still not convinced that it is a black Rhino, even though as I said earlier that the lip does look hooked, but the bush could make that a tad misleading.

Wiltuinman, I should have stated that the hair on the ears must be black for a black rhino it is also thicker than the hair on a white rhino's ears.....

The reason the rhino Elsa photographed has a straight back is because his head is down. If he lifted his head the back will get the kink back.... Because the heads normal position is up it needs to arch its back to get his lips to the ground. On a White rhino with his head down there will still be a kink to the back.

The head is also way to small in comparison to the body to be a white rhino.